1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to filters. More specifically, the invention is a filter unit that cleans and meters the gases flowing from the crankcase PCV valve to the intake of either a diesel or gas engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art of interest describes various gas filters, but none discloses the present invention. There is a need for an effective crankcase gas filter on an engine, gasoline or diesel, which will effectively clean the gas emitted. In addition, there is a need for a device that will decrease the filtering load of the catalytic converter in the exhaust pipe and provide for a cleaner combustion burn. The related art of interest will be discussed in the order of relevance to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,309 issued on May 16, 1978, reissued as Re. 30,682 on Jul. 21, 1981, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,971 issued on Feb. 1, 1983, to Elmer W. Bush describe a crankcase emission separator of deleterious liquid and solid components and collector device comprising a crankcase emission separator and collector vessel equipped with filtration and a collector means for cleaning the air-fuel intake of an internal combustion engine. Atmospheric air is brought into collision with the emissions to enhance separation in a vessel containing fiberglass or glass beads. The cleaned gaseous fraction mixed with atmospheric air is then conducted from the vessel to a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve interposed in a portion of the conduit leading from the separator-collector to the air-fuel intake side of the engine. The apparatus is distinguishable for requiring fiberglass or glass beads.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,051 issued on Mar. 22, 1977, to Ross M. Parcels describes an automotive crankcase emission control system comprising a spin-on type filter included in a conventional emission control system to recycle the filtered fumes into the fuel intake manifold. The system is distinguishable for requiring a spin-on type filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,451 issued on Apr. 15, 1975, to Virgil J. Lipscomb describes a PCV valve filter device comprising a means for mounting a replaceable filter in a housing and cover between an engine crankcase and a PCV valve. The device is distinguishable for requiring only a replaceable filter located in the housing and cover.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2001/0022175, published on Sep. 20, 2001, describes a combined crankcase and canister ventilation system for a supercharged combustion engine comprising a device to separate oil from evacuated blow-by gas, a separate oil collection chamber, and various conduits including one from the air filter.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0078936, published on Jun. 27, 2002, describes a separator and oil trap above the engine for closed crankcase ventilator and supercharged systems comprising an air-oil separator container having alternating flat plate baffles receiving exhaust from the rocker arm cover, passing the cleaned air to a crankcase depression regulator device to a turbocharger, and exiting through the exhaust line.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0088212, published on Jul. 11, 2002, describes two embodiments for separating oil from crankcase gases. A first embodiment includes a separating cartridge having two-component end disks in a separate housing for separating oil from crankcase gases and comprising a suction relief valve in a nipple on a cylindrical housing containing a cylindrical separating cartridge composed of a non-woven separating cloth wound around a support body having end plates of a two-component synthetic resin material. The oil collects in the cartridge and drips through a return flow valve at the bottom to the crankcase, whereas the incoming gas enters the housing from a separate aperture at the bottom of the main housing to flow upward to the separating cartridge. The second embodiment locates the housing directly on the crankcase housing. The devices are distinguishable for requiring specific filter compositions, a suction relief valve, and a return flow valve.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0100465, published on Aug. 1, 2002, describes a device to deoil the crankcase ventilation gases of an internal combustion engine comprising at least one oil mist separator device provided which has a gas inlet connected to a first pressure area and is connected to the crankcase. The separator has a gas outlet connected to a second pressure area, and is connected to the air intake section of the engine. The separator has a bypass channel that has a gas inlet connected to the first pressure area, and a gas outlet connected to the second pressure area. A control valve opens or closes the bypass channel depending on the pressure difference between the two pressure areas. An oil-mist separator cyclone and the control valve in the bypass channel closing to create flow diversion or impact separation in the bypass channel accomplish deoiling. The deoiling device is distinguishable for its requirement for a bypass valve and a cyclone oil-mist separator.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0157999, published on Oct. 31, 2002, describes numerous filter devices for a diesel fuel engine comprising an upright cylindrical container receiving the water-containing fuel on top and passing the fuel through a vertical filter mass, and first and second parallel micromesh screens which collect the water to drain into a collection chamber which is periodically drained by disconnecting the filter device. The diesel fuel filter is distinguishable for dewatering a different fuel in the liquid state.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,995 issued on Jun. 28, 1966, to William H. Schnabel describes a crankcase ventilator device for removing solid particles, such as sludge and other foreign matter, comprising a water containing glass jar in the engine compartment receiving crankcase vapors. The device has a cylindrical sleeve with its lower half perforated and the bottom closed. The sleeve contains a cylindrical screen containing a horizontal fire screen separating an upper limited volume of Fiberglas from the lower volume of Fiberglas. The crankcase vapor enters a vertical inlet pipe in the device and travels upward to be cleaned and recycled to the exhaust manifold. The device is distinguishable for requiring a single pass through a Fiberglas filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,221 issued on Dec. 18, 1973, to Joseph J. Gartner describes a pollution control device for an internal combustion engine comprising, in a main embodiment, a cylindrical housing accepting blow-by gas from the crankcase into its side to traverse multiple filter plates in an upper region and out to a PCV valve to an intake manifold. Another inner chamber inside the cylindrical housing below the filter plates in a centered cylindrical housing receives hot gas from the engine exhaust manifold. Air is added into the housing from a side nipple. A centered shaft removable from the top of the housing is centered and passes through the filter plates to the inner chamber. The device is distinguishable for utilizing stack filter plates and end plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,950 issued on Oct. 18, 1983, to Nathan Goldberg describes a fuel saving and pollution control device comprising a cylindrical canister containing a perforated vertical tube accepting emission gas from the PCV valve, an annular filter unit made of either plastic or clay treated oil and gasoline resistant paper or metal, and an inner metal perforated tube which passes the effluent gas out through the top into the outlet tube and the intake manifold of the engine. The oil in the canister settles in the bottom at the circular condensing screen. The device is distinguishable for requiring an annular filter insert, a perforated metal inner tube, and a condensing oil screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,525 issued on Jun. 12, 1984, to Gregory DeBruler describes a device for treating crankcase vapor emissions of automotive engines interposed between the engine crankcase, ventilation port and the air-fuel intake manifold comprising a transparent upright glass or plastic vessel covered by a domed cover receiving crankcase emissions in a right-angled tube which continues down through a circular filter made of either steel mesh containing cotton fiber or a reusable three- or four-layered steel mesh. A shorter right-angled outlet tube returns the cleaned gases to the intake manifold of the engine. The device is mounted on the firewall. The device is distinguishable for requiring a laminated mesh filter and for being mounted on the firewall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,137 issued on May 7, 1985, to John Manolis describes at least five embodiments of a crankcase emissions device separating liquid from gases comprising a metal cylinder connected to the PVC hose providing a restricting effect of the flow path in the crankcase gases and vapors. The metal cylinder can have a deflecting flange or ledge in the outlet tube or midway in the cylinder in the form of various baffles. As the vapors enter the cylinder, they expand and condense along the wall as they flow upwardly to produce an oil film that will return to the crankcase. The device is distinguishable for requiring only upward vertical movement of the gases in the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,969 issued on Jul. 16, 1985, to Akihisa Senga describes a blow-by gas passage system for a V-type internal combustion engine comprising longitudinally spaced passages formed on each side and parallel to the cylinders in each cylinder bank. Corresponding passages formed in each cylinder head allow for communication between the crankcase and a cavity formed in the space between the two banks of cylinders. An oil separator with a plurality of baffles arranged in a labyrinth-type arrangement is mounted on top of the cylinder block over the collection cavity. An intake manifold is mounted on top of the oil separator, and has an internal passage formed corresponding to the exit port of the oil separator. The other end of the intake manifold is fitted with a PCV valve that is attached to a pipe leading to the engine air inlet passages of the intake manifold. The device is distinguishable for being limited to and integral with a V-type internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,058 issued on Feb. 15, 2000, to Darren W. Burnett describes a blow-by oil separator and reservoir device in a retrofitting kit for adding to an internal combustion diesel engine comprising a bowl-shaped reservoir oriented vertically and having a lid with a tee connection. A conventional blow-by oil hose is attached to the vertical portion of the tee connection to feed gaseous influent while the elbow conduit funnels the gaseous effluent to the ambient atmosphere or recycles to the diesel engine. A valve in the bottom outlet port of the reservoir empties the oil fraction in the reservoir. The device is distinguishable for being limited to processing diesel emissions and requiring a bowl-shaped reservoir.
German Patent No. 3,930,765, published on Feb. 28, 1991, describes a tubular gas filter containing several chambers for cleaning dust from the gas under each chamber comprising a dust collection bunker under each chamber and a clean gas duct above each chamber. At the side of the chambers, ducts for distribution of unfiltered gas and for the collection of clean gas are provided. Below these ducts are a conical unfiltered gas inlet and a gas guide arrangement for each chamber with an upper wall section to form a partial gas stream flowing transverse to the chamber, and a lower wall section forming a longitudinal gas stream. The wall sections can swivel on a common horizontal shaft. An advantage of this apparatus is uniform dust precipitation over the whole filter surface of a chamber. The apparatus is distinguishable for requiring structural features not seen in the present invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a regulated engine crankcase gas filter solving the aforementioned problems is desired.